What Are The Best Toys For Newborns

Soft And Textural Toys

Soft toys are great for the very early stages of development – just by waving a soft toy in front of them during tummy time, you’re encouraging plenty of mental growth. Then, once they begin to develop motor skills, they can grab at soft toys safely without any risk of harm.

Adding in fun textures is essential too, because the way they sound and feel will help to stimulate your bub.

We love the Skip Hop Vibrant Village Soft Activity Book from The Stork Nest, Taggies Crinkle Me and Berry Bunny from Fat Brain Toys, and Best Mate Bluey from Myer, as pictured below.

Toys That Will Develop Your Babys Sight

1. Your baby will at this point in her life need to see pictures of faces. The faces of the people in her life will be good so try using photos of family members and friends. Since her vision will probably be initially fuzzy she may only be able to fix her eyes on things brought up to 20cm or 30cm from her eyes.

2. Your baby will also need toys that can be held . Ones with very bright colors and high-contrast patterns will be suitable for captivating your baby as she will see them easily compared to those with darker colors. She will also love and appreciate if the toys are moved into her line of sight/vision as she may not see very far at this point. And though she may not also be able to hold or grasp them yet, you will notice the ones she likes as she bats at them leaving the others.

3. Though your baby may not realize she is looking at herself, she will find her own reflection in a mirror fascinating when you hold up an unbreakable mirror to her . This mirror can be fastened to the side of her or anywhere good enough. You will notice shell be smiling at it about three months.

4. High-contrast newborn toys in black, white and red will enable your baby select toys in varying patterns and shapes. This will stimulate her development visually.

Best Newborn Soft Toys

Not all cuddly toys are created equal, but they do make brilliant newborn gifts.

Scout can be programmed and personalised for your baby, saying their name, favourite foods, favourite activities and more.

Scout also sings and offers learning activities connect to LeapFrog Learning Path to download more songs and activities as baby grows older.

For other personalised soft toys baby will love and cherish throughout childhood, you can always get them a one-of-a-kind Build-A-Bear or personalised teddy from My 1st Years. The Build-A-Bear teddies can be made bespoke with your own voice recordings, sounds, scents, clothing and accessories.

A giant Jellycat toy is great for making a statement in any room.

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Fine Motor Skills In Babys First Year

Every baby will develop at their own pace, so try not to get too caught up in what your little one should be doing and focus instead on meeting them where they are. Heres what the American Academy of Pediatrics says to look for when it comes to fine motor skills over your little ones first year.

0 to 3 months:

• Swipes at dangling objects with hands

4 to 7 months:

• Transfers objects from hand to hand
• Uses raking grasp

• Puts objects into a container
• Lets objects go voluntarily

Iplay Ilearn 10pcs Musical Toy Set

Teething can be a very difficult time for your baby. But this natural process of growing can be made pleasant with some safe and fun musical teething toys. These toys vary in shape, size, and sound, which may even help in visual development and hand-eye coordination. This musical toy set is suitable for kids aged six months and above.

Pros:

• Safe for kids as the product is tested at labs approved by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Free from BPA, latex, and phthalate
• The difference in rattlers handles and shapes could promote fine motor skills
• The variety in sounds expands babys sensory experience
• Easy to clean and store

Cons:

• Toys give out a strong chemical smell when first opened from the box
• Tiny parts of toys may pose as a choking hazard if broken due to rough usage

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Toys To Get Wiggles Out

Three-year-olds need at least 30 minutes of adult-led physical activity and a minimum of 60 minutes of unstructured, active free play each and every day. Good thing most 3-year-olds are expert runners, jumpers, kickers, and skippers! Take advantage and find your naturally active little one toys that buoy their budding look-what-I-can-do confidence, hone their motor development, and bring them tons of fun! Some ideas include a T-ball set, pint-size basketball hoop, hopscotch rug, backyard bouncer, single-user trampoline, various sports balls, foam pogo jumper, balance steppingstones, three-wheeled scooter, backyard climbing structure, or balance board.

Lamaze Freddie The Firefly 999

Great for stimulating textures

Age suitability: From birth | Batteries: None

What is is: A friendly 25cm x 6cm x 30cm soft-toy bug with crinkly wings, squeaker, teether, and peekaboo mirrors. Comes with a ring to attach it to a pushchair or car seat.

Why we love it: Freddies bright colours and different sounds and textures mean hes a bit of a baby magnet: so much to see, feel, hear and chew! Our testers mum was really taken with the toys quality and how much it stimulated and held her 3-month-old baby Andys attention. A couple of months later, shes still impressed with it. Its a lovely toy, she says, and it washes great its been machine-washed a billion times!

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Its Play Time The Best Toys For Babys First Year

Play looks different at every age, especially in babys first year. Even simple actions, like talking to baby, count as play activities in the early months of their life! Play can happen during routine activities . It can also be a set of simple games and activities that keep baby engaged. In babys first year, play helps them:

• Learn about the world around them
• Develop important life skills

Playtime can be even better with toys! So, which toys are the best to help babys development in their first year? Here are some of our recommendations!

Remember: safety first!

Anything to help with Tummy Time.Tummy Time will be an important part of babys physical development, especially in the first 6 months of their life. Some toys that will help with this are mirrors, so they can look at their reflection while in Tummy Time, rattles, teething toys and play gyms.

Toys that engage their senses. Babys senses are rapidly developing in the first year! Toys can help to engage some of the senses, such as their hearing and vision. Some toys that help with senses are:

• Hearing: Rattles, toys that squeak, and simple musical instruments like egg shakers.
• Vision: High contrast toys help with babys vision development. Look for black-and-white toys to help baby.
• Touch: Squishy and soft toys, like stuffed animals, can bring baby comfort. There are also sensory sets, which give baby a variety of textures to touch.

Best Toys For Older Kids

Want to impress a kid obsessed with tech? This Vtech Kidizoom DX3 Smartwatch has plenty of features to make them feel grown-up, including calendar reminders, games, a camera and a changeable clock face. There’s also school mode, so it doesn’t distract them in class. Available at Best Buy.

This wireless karaoke microphone has a USB port and Bluetooth capabilities. Use it for a sing-along party or as a speaker/recorder. It has a four-hour battery life, so everyone gets a turn at singing “Levitate.” Available at .

Rainbow looms are always popular with younger children, and this fashionable DIY kit has enough material to weave and bead eight bracelets, either to share or wear. Available at .

For kids’ who have access to a video game console, there’s a bunch of PG gaming options. For the Nintendo Switch, there’s with loads of competitive games like skateboarding, surfing, Karate and climbing with multiple charter options from Mario’s world. Available at Best Buy.

Minecraft meets Xbox: Dungeons Hero game creates a magical world and a quest to beat the Arch-Illager . Available at Best Buy.

LEGO Harry Potter Collection takes place in the familiar wizarding world of Harry, Ron and Hermione, with puzzles, potions and LEGO challenges along the way. Available at Best Buy.

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How Can Baby Toys Help My Baby’s Cognitive And Physical Development

Of course, these toys arent just designed to look cute, theyll help your baby reach developmental milestones in a number of different ways:

According to Dr. Amanda Gummer from www.goodplayguide.com, toys are great for your newborn’s development.

‘The right toys are great for newborns – they stimulate baby’s senses and make the adults and other children in the room more inclined to be playful and interact with the baby. They can help children develop skills and interact with the world around them.’

The 9 Very Best Toys For Your 3

Three-year-olds are so ready to have their toy game taken up a notch! Unlike their easier-to-please 2-year-old selves, your growing 3-year-old is way more likely to have opinions on toys and super-specific interests that theyre excited to explore. Need help selecting the just-right present for your little one? Here, some helpful gift-giving guardrails to keep you on track to pick the perfect toy!

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What To Consider When Buying Toys For Newborns

Before you purchase a toy for a newborn, take these factors into consideration:

• Color. Infants cant fully recognize colors, so black and white toys and books for newborns are great to assist the development of their vision, says Lori Caplan-Colon, a leading speech language pathologist and founder of Montclair Speech Therapy.
• Sound. Another great toy for a newborn is a simple soft toy that makes some noise, says Caplan-Colon. This will allow the baby to work on visual tracking both horizontally and vertically when a caregiver is interacting with them,” she explains. “These kinds of toys stimulate vision and build attention span.
• Parental interaction. Better than any toy is playtime with Mom, Dad and other caregivers. Sing and talk to baby as much as possible and narrate feedings, changes, bathtime and more. This helps with her early language skills.
• Safety. Babies this age should always be closely supervised with any toys. Never leave baby alone with toys, extra bedding or stuffed animals in her crib, and carefully inspect toys for any loose parts that could be a potential choking hazard, like buttons or beads.

See registry advice and a custom baby gear checklist

Infantino Go Gaga Spiral Car Seat Activity Toy

BEST ON-THE-GO TEETHER

Multi-use toys can make a baby and an adults life better thanks to their ability to keep little ones entertained. They typically last through several stages as well, since babies will learn how to play with the toy more as they get older. The Infantino Go gaga! Spiral Car Seat Activity Toy is great for growing babies and can easily be attached to strollers and car seats, providing ample entertainment and stimulation. The toy features a BPA-free teether, as well as a small mirror and a rattle, which are all toys baby will enjoy grabbing, biting, and examining for several months.

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Bloom Fat Brain Tobbles Neo Infant Stacking Toy

• Grippable textures and bright colors for engagement

• Builds fine and gross motor and visual skills

• Can balance, nest, spin, and stack

• Some might want even more play diversity

Perfect for ages 6 months and up, this innovative toy challenges babies to balance, nest, spin, and stack these spheres in gravity-defying angles. Parents appreciate the thoughtful design and versatility of this colorful toy. Don’t be surprised if your toddler is playing with this bright toy into their big kid stage.

The Best Infant Toys For 3 Month Old To 6 Month Olds

Somewhere between 3-6 months old, your child is going to go through a radical transformation. That newborn is going to start fading into the background, and a fully-engaging and interactive baby is going to emerge giggling, smiling, and stealing the show.

FYI, this is also around the time when everyones sleep goes down the toilet, so if youre dealing with that right now, firstly: condolences, secondly: this article will be a huge help.)

Here are the three things you want your child to practice during these formative weeks:

And here are the best baby toys for 3 to 6 month olds in learning those skills!

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Best Newborn Sensory Toy: Wrist & Foot Rattles

These foot and wrist rattles are a clever way to encourage your baby to practice his gross motor skills, kicking his legs and waving his arms around. The textures will keep him stretching, teaching his brain how to make smoother and smoother movements. They also a great way to introduce your newborn to cause and effect: Shake my handhear a sound!

For The One Who Needs Help Sleeping: Homedics Soundspa Lullaby

A sound machine can be ever so helpful when it comes to babys slumber. Everyone in the house will appreciate better sleep. The SoundSpa Lullaby plays soothing sounds like ocean, rain, and heartbeat as well as lullabies. Theres a handy timer function so the machine doesnt run all night, and the projector shows baby-friendly images like ocean life for an added bonus.

Get a HoMedics SoundSpa Lullaby at Target for $24.99

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The First Years Rattle 750

Great for jingly fun

Age suitability: From birth | Batteries: None

What it is: A 17cm-long multi-textured, multi-coloured soft rattle thats shaped for baby fingers to grasp. Features crinkly feet and antenna. Machine-washable.

Why we love it: Its lovely and soft to hold and makes a nice little jingle sound when its jiggled about. We like its bright colours and friendly face and we love the crinkly feet and antenna. Simple but stimulating and you can chuck in the washing machine. Result!

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